Judges 18
1 In those days there was no king in Israel. In those days the tribe of Dan was seeking a territory of its own to settle in, because until then no territory had fallen to it among the tribes of Israel.
2 The Danites sent five men from their clan, chosen from among all of them, capable men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and explore it. They said to them, “Go and explore the land.” They came to the hill country of Ephraim, to Micah’s house, and spent the night there.
3 When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite. They turned aside and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing here? What do you have here?”
4 He said to them, “Micah did such and such for me. He hired me, and I became his priest.”
5 They said to him, “Please inquire of God for us, so that we may know whether the journey we are making will succeed.”
6 The priest said to them, “Go in peace. The way you are going is before the LORD.”
7 The five men went on and came to Laish. They saw that the people there lived securely, like the Sidonians, quiet and confident. No one in the land was oppressing them in any way, and no ruler was harassing them. They lived far from the Sidonians and had no dealings with anyone.
8 They returned to their fellow Danites in Zorah and Eshtaol, and their fellow Danites asked them, “What do you have to say?”
9 They answered, “Get up, and let’s go up against them, because we have seen the land, and it is very good. Are you going to sit still? Don’t be slow to go and enter the land and take possession of it.
10 When you get there, you will find a people who are secure and a land that is spacious, for God has given it into your hands—a place where nothing found on earth is lacking.”
11 So six hundred men from the clan of the Danites, from Zorah and Eshtaol, set out, armed for war.
12 They went up and camped at Kiriath-jearim in Judah. That is why the place is called Mahaneh-dan to this day; it lies behind Kiriath-jearim.
13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.
14 The five men who had gone to spy out the land of Laish said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that in these houses there is an ephod, household idols, a carved image, and a cast image? Now think about what you should do.”
15 They turned aside there, came to the house of the young Levite—to Micah’s house—and asked how he was.
16 The six hundred Danites, armed for war, stood at the entrance to the gate.
17 The five men who had gone to spy out the land went up, entered the house, and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the cast image. The priest was standing at the entrance to the gate with the six hundred men armed for war.
18 When they entered Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the household idols, and the cast image, the priest said to them, “What are you doing?”
19 They said to him, “Be quiet! Put your hand over your mouth and come with us. Be our father and priest. Is it better for you to be priest for one man’s household, or to be priest for a tribe and a clan in Israel?”
20 The priest was pleased. He took the ephod, the household idols, and the carved image, and went along with the people.
21 They turned and set out, placing the children, the livestock, and their belongings in front of them.
22 When they had gone some distance from Micah’s house, the men living in the houses near Micah’s house were called together and caught up with the Danites.
23 They shouted to the Danites, who turned around and said to Micah, “What’s the matter with you, that you have called these men together?”
24 He answered, “You took the gods I made, and the priest, and went away. What do I have left? How can you ask me, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
25 The Danites said to him, “Don’t let us hear your voice among us, or bitter-hearted men may attack you, and you may lose your life and the lives of your household.”
26 The Danites went on their way, and Micah, seeing that they were stronger than he was, turned back and returned to his house.
27 They took what Micah had made, along with the priest he had, and came to Laish, to a quiet and confident people. They struck them down with the sword and burned the city.
28 There was no one to rescue them, because the city was far from Sidon and they had no dealings with anyone. It lay in the valley belonging to Beth-rehob. They rebuilt the city and settled there.
29 They named the city Dan, after Dan their ancestor, who was born to Israel. The city had previously been called Laish.
30 The Danites set up the carved image for themselves. Jonathan son of Gershom, son of Manasseh, and his sons served as priests for the tribe of the Danites until the day the land went into exile.
31 They kept the carved image Micah had made for themselves for as long as the house of God was at Shiloh.
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